On March 8, 2017, U.S. Rep. Dennis A. Ross (R-FL-15), Senior Deputy Majority Whip, reintroduced his bipartisan legislation, the Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act, which would encourage the development of a robust private flood insurance market that can offer homeowners options in terms of pricing and coverage.

Property owners are currently limited by regulatory barriers to purchasing a one-size-fits-all NFIP flood insurance product, even though private policies can offer more comprehensive coverage at a better rate. This bill would remove excessive restrictions and would give states more flexibility to license and regulate private flood insurance. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) is the co-lead of the House bill, and Sens. Dean Heller (R-NV) and Jon Tester (D-MT) will be introducing the companion Senate bill.

"Floridians and Americans across the country would greatly benefit from more choices when it comes to flood insurance policies," said Rep. Ross.  "More choices and increased marketplace competition means better coverage, more innovation, and more affordable policies for homeowners. This is especially beneficial to Floridians in central Florida and the Tampa Bay region who face threats of flooding from storms and hurricanes. I am proud to work with my good friend, Rep. Castor, on this important and pro-consumer legislation. As this bill passed unanimously out of committee and the full House last Congress, I encourage my colleagues in the House and Senate to join me in pushing for this sensible flood insurance reform that will benefit homeowners and families."

Click here to read the full release.

"When the Floods are Certain But (NOAA's) Funds Are Not", by Shana Udvardy, Union of Concerned Scientists – June 22, 2017
Click here to view story

"National flood insurance legislation passes House committee", by Gloria Gonzales, Business Insurance – June 22, 2017
Click here to view story

"Our flood insurance system is broken. Here's how we fix it.", By Matthew Neilsen and Daniel Stander, Opinion Editorial, The Hill – June 22, 2017
Click here to view story

"Sweeping Changes to Flood Insurance Program Approved by House Panel", by Brandon Ross, Bloomberg BNA – June 22, 2017
Click here to view story

"House Committee Adds 5 More Bills to Its Flood Insurance Reform Package", by Andrew G. Simpson, Insurance Journal – June 22, 2017
Click here to view story

"House panel passes flood insurance overhaul bills", by Sylvan Lane, The Hill – June 21, 2017
Click here to view story

"Senate Confirms New FEMA Chief Long", by Christopher Flavelle, Insurance Journal – June 21, 2017
Click here to view story

"Too Hot to Fly? Climate Change May Take a Toll on Air Travel", by Zack Wichter, New York Times – June 20, 2017
Click here to view story

"Towards a Private Flood Insurance Market", by Ike Brannon, CATO – June 20, 2017
Click here to view story

"Sea-Level Rise Poses a Rising Risk to U.S. Shores", by April Reese, Scientific American – June 2017 Edition
Click here to view story

"Flood Insurance Becoming Top House GOP Finance Priority", by Ryan Rainey, Morning Consult – June 1, 2017
Click here to view story

"It's been years since a major hurricane has hit US", by Keith Randall, The Item – June 1, 2017
Click here to view story

"What to Expect From This Year's Atlantic Hurricane Season (and Will Texas Get Walloped?)", by Jeff Balke, Houston Press – June 1, 2017
Click here to view story

"Nearly 7 Million US Homes at Risk of Hurricane Storm Surge Damage in 2017, New Report Shows", by Troy McMullen, Forbes – June 1, 2017
Click here to view story

"Flood Insurance Looks Like One Area of Bipartisan Agreement", by Andrew G. Simpson, Insurance Journal – May 30, 2017
Click here to view story

"Ominous and overlooked: Back-bay flooding plagues millions", Associated Press, WTOP – May 30, 2017
Click here to view story

"Natural disasters don't exist but natural hazards do", by Martin Ras, United Nations Development Programme – May 18, 2017
Click here to view story

"Time to Build Flood Resilient Infrastructure", by Joel Scata, National Resources Defense Council – May 18, 2017
Click here to view story

"Reforms prove value of flood policies", Op Ed By Rachael Lemaitre, Newsday – May 18, 2017
Click here to view story

" Not too late to stop dangerous sea rise", by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, The Jamestown Press – May 18, 2017
Click here to view story

"Sea level rise will double coastal flood risk worldwide", by Damian Carrington, The Guardian – May 18, 2017
Click here to view story

"Trump should invest in America's natural infrastructure", Op Ed by Collin O'Mara, The Hill – May 17, 2017
Click here to view story

"Florida's private flood insurance market is a template for the country", By Christian Camara, Opinion Contributor, The Hill – May 16, 2017
Click here to view story

"Florida Sea Level Rise & Unchecked Coastal Developments", by Cynthia Shahan, Clean Technica – May 14, 2017
Click here to view story

"California sea levels may rise higher than expected", The Weather Network – May 14, 2017
Click here to view story

"Insurance Regulators Exploring Ways to Protect Consumers in Age of Big Data", by Joseph S. Harrington, CPCU, ARP, Insurance Journal – May 11, 2017
Click here to view story

"Hurricane season is upon us: what's ahead for 2017", by Sam Boyer, Insurance Business – May 10, 2017
Click here to view story

" House GOP to unveil 5-year flood insurance bill", by Sylvan Lane, The Hill – May 10, 2017
Click here to view story

"NWS to start issuing official storm surge warnings", by Cristina Mendez, NBC – May 10, 2017
Click here to view story

"Rising Sea Levels and The Lacking Fight to Combat Them", by Natalie Wickstrom, Paste Magazine – May 9, 2017
Click here to view story

"NFIP reforms encouraged to demonstrate true flood risk", by Gloria Gonzalez, Business Insider – May 8, 2017
Click here to view story

"Stemming the tide of flood losses", by Matthew Foote, Argoglobal, Insurance Day – May 7, 2015
Click here to view story

"Integrating climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction", by Walid Ali, UN Development Programme – May 5, 2017
Click here to view story

"Debate over saving NFIP heats up in Washington", by Ted Bunker, The Insurance Insider – May 4, 2017
Click here to view story

"Sea-Level Rise Will Send Millions of U.S. Climate Refugees to Inland Cities", by Marlene Cimons, Alternet – May 4, 2017
Click here to view story

"Mississippi Urges Residents to Invest in Flood Insurance", Insurance Journal – May 4, 2017
Click here to view story

"Historic Flooding Far From Over: Hundreds of Roads Closed and Vital Waterways Shut Down", by Pam Wright and Ada Car, The Weather Channel – May 4, 2017
Click here to view story

"Problems from Hurricane Sandy prompt Christie calls for private flood insurance", by Jonathan D. Salant, NJ.com – May 3, 2017

"Resiliency, mapping and consumer choice changes recommended for National Flood Insurance Program", Canadian Underwriter – May 3, 2017
Click here to view story

"GAO calls for comprehensive reform of National Flood Insurance Program", Financial Regulation News – May 2, 2017
Click here to view story Click here to view story

"Why the Federal Flood Insurance Program is $24.6 Billion Under Water", by Eric Pianin, The Fiscal Times – April 28, 2017
Click here to view story

"Arctic warmest it has ever been between 2011 and 2015", Energy Live News – April 27, 2017
Click here to view story

"Rising Sea Levels Will Hit California Harder Than Other Places", by Anne C. Mulkern, E&E News, Scientific American – April 27, 2017
Click here to view story

"Miami Beach moves toward new construction standards for sea level rise", by Francisco Alvarado, The Real Deal – April 26, 2017
Click here to view story

"Will Sea-Level Rise Kill Coastal Florida's Housing Market?", by Leon Kaye, Triple Pundit – April 26, 2017
Click here to view story

"Rising Seas Claiming California's Coast Faster Than Scientists Imagined", by Julie Cart, KQED News – April 26, 2017
Click here to view story

"Congressional Budget Office predicts future claims, expenses will squeeze National Flood Insurance Program", Financial Regulation News – April 25, 2017
Click here to view story

"70% of overall Hurricane Matthew loss uninsured: Aon Benfield Artemis – April 25, 2017
Click here to view story

"2.5 Million Miamians Could Become Refugees Due to Sea-Level Rise, Study Says", by Jerry Iannelli, Miami New Times – April 25, 2017
Click here to view story

"Hurricane Matthew breaks records, Aon report shows", by Denny Jacob, Property Casualty 360 – April 24, 2017
Click here to view story

"Vanishing ocean floor in the Florida Keys worsens risks from sea rise, study finds", Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald – April 20, 2017
Click here to view story

"NFIP restructuring needed as sea levels rise", by Gloria Gonzalez, Business Insurance – April 19, 2017
Click here to view story

"Antarctica's massive lakes, rivers, and streams could help us understand rising sea levels", by Alessandra Poteza, The Verge - April 19, 2017
Click here to view story

"How to Reduce Risk from Extreme Weather Events", by Robert Glasser and Petteri Taalas, The Huffington Post – April 19, 2017
Click here to view story

"As sea levels rise, where will all the people go?", by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Popular Science - April 17, 2017
Click here to view story

"Global Warming Could Make Hurricane Forecasting More Difficult, Study Suggests", by Jonathan Belles, The Weather Channel – April 12, 2017
Click here to view story

"Sea-level rise in California could be catastrophic, study says", by Kurtis Alexander, SF Gate – April 12, 2017
Click here to view story

"Antarctica's Sleeping Ice Giant Could Wake Soon", by Jane Qiu, Scientific American – April 12, 2017
Click here to view story

" How can cities double down on the climate change fight? Three experts share ideas" by Audrey Wachs, The Architect's Newspaper – April 12, 2017
Click here to view story

" America's Flood Insurance System is Sinking", by Ed Leefeldt, Everything Lubbock – April 11, 2017
Click here to view story

" Flood Insurance: Pricier This Year, and May Go Higher", by Ann Carrns, The New York Times – April 7, 2017
Click here to view story

"2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Calls For Less Activity Than 2016", by Jon Erdman, Weather Underground – April 6, 2017
Click here to view story

"Today's hurricanes kill way fewer Americans, and NOAA's satellites are the reason why", by Mark D. Kaufman, Popular Science – April 6, 2017
Click here to view story

"Greenland's Coastal Ice Caps Have Melted Past The Point Of No Return", by Dominique Mosbergen, The Huffington Post – April 6, 2017
Click here to view story

"Miami Fights Against Sea Level Rise", by Amanda Ruggeri, BBC News – April 4, 2017
Click here to view story

" Preparing for the Future Using Lessons From Hurricane Sandy", by David W. Dunlap, New York Times – April 4, 2017
Click here to view story

" Save National Flood Insurance by Investing in Nature", by Joshua Saks, Special to Morning Consult – April 3, 2017
Click here to view story

"How Climate Change Affects Humans: Mental Health Harmed By Global Warming", by Juliana Rose Pignataro, International Business Times – March 30, 2017
Click here to view story

"How the World Is Responding to President Trump's Climate Policies", by Justin Worland, Time - Mar 30, 2017
Click here to view story

"Rising Sea Levels Could Decimate Southern California Beaches by 2100", by George Dvorsky, Gizmodo – March 28, 2017
Click here to view story

" Red Cross Develops Innovative Mechanism To Predict & Prepare For Flood Risks", by Joshua S. Hill, Clean Technica – March 28, 2017
Click here to view story

"Trump Slashing Funding To National Flood Insurance Program Can Cause Rates To Go Up", by Craig Casazza, Forbes – March 28, 2017
Click here to view story

"Gov. Edwards urges White House to 'carefully consider' budget cuts that could threaten disaster recovery, prevention", by Elizabeth Crisp, The Advocate – March 22, 2017
Click here to view story

" Reps. Royce, Blumenauer introduce bill to reform insurance for repeatedly flooded properties", Financial Regulation News – March 21, 2017
Click here to view story

"California May Exit Federal Flood Program, According to Reports, Insurance Journal – March 21, 2017
Click here to view story

"California Explores State-Run Flood Insurance Program", by Amy Quinton, Capital Public Radio – March 21, 2017
Click here to view story

"Reforms prove value of flood policies", Special to Newsday, by Rafael Lemaitre, Newsday – March 18, 2017
Click here to view story